The present invention relates to transporting apparatuses provided with air-supplying-type support means for supplying purified air toward a lower surface of a transported object to contactlessly support the transported object and drive force application means for applying a drive force in the transporting direction to the transported object being supported by the air-supplying-type support means.
Such transporting apparatuses are for transporting objects such as glass substrates for liquid crystal displays, and transport the transported object by applying a drive force with the drive force application means to the transported object that is contactlessly supported by the air-supplying-type support means.
With conventional transporting apparatuses, the drive force application means applies a drive force to both ends in the width direction, which is perpendicular to the transporting direction, of the transported object so as to transport the transported object in a horizontal orientation or a substantially horizontal orientation (for example, see JP 2002-321820A). Also, among conventional transporting apparatuses there are those that support the transported object in an upright orientation with transporting means (for example, see JP 2002-308423A).
With such transporting apparatuses it was necessary to provide the drive force application means with a pair of mechanisms, namely a mechanism for applying a drive force to one end side in the width direction of the transported object and a mechanism for applying a drive force to the other end side in the width direction. Alternatively, it required a mechanism for transmitting motive force from one mechanism on one side to the other mechanism on the other side.
Also, with such conventional transporting apparatuses it was not possible to switch between a state where the transported object is carried in a horizontal orientation or a substantially horizontal orientation and a state where the transported object is carried in an upright orientation. If it were possible to switch between these two states, it would be possible to provide a versatile transporting apparatus that is compatible with various conditions.